


One Spell at a Time

by SadieYuki



Category: Brave (2012), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of The Brave Tangled Dragons - Fandom, Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: A little, Drug Addiction, Gen, Harry Potter AU, Jack Whump, Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons, RotBTD, Whump, Withdrawal, also jack doesn't yet understand that thanksgiving is an american holiday, but the addiction and withdrawal is very real, check the tumblr page timeline, don't expect chronological order from this, hence the tags, i don't know what's gonna happen with this, if you want chronological order, it's not a typical drug or anything, mentions of drug addiction, mentions of withdrawal, multi one-shot fic, poor bby, rotbtd hp au, the big four, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:51:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieYuki/pseuds/SadieYuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow Hiccup, Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel as they go through their Hogwarts years.  The canons of these four will be merged with the canon of Harry Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What's an aye pod?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jack finds Emma wandering the castle after curfew, he finds himself with a sleeping first year in his arms and no way into the Gryffindor Common Room. Luckily, a certain red head is awake to help him out.
> 
> (Takes place at the beginning of 6th year)

Jack absently scratched his stomach as he wandered the halls, careful to remain quiet to avoid waking up a portrait or come across a patrolling professor. He wasn’t too worried about running into any prefects, considering he was on good terms with most of them, and the others were smitten with him. And if he happened to run into Hiccup or Punzie, he was definitely in the clear.

For once, he wasn’t breaking curfew to cause trouble, he was merely on his way to grab a midnight snack from the kitchens. He didn’t even have his staff with him, so if he did run into a professor, he might be able to get away with claiming he was sleepwalking...maybe.

He was just entering the Entrance Hall from the dungeons when he heard the sound of sniffling from the staircase. Squinting in the darkness, he tried to make out the small shape huddled on the base step.

“Hello?” Jack called softly.

The little one’s head shot up, and Jack was startled to see his little sister staring back at him, tear tracks staining her face. “Jack!” she called, stumbling a bit as she tried to sprint towards him.

Jack met her halfway and bent down to scoop the first year into his arms. He noticed that she was barefoot and wearing pink and red pajamas, and her brown hair was messy in the back like she had rolled right out of bed. She probably had.

“Emma, what are you doing out here?” Jack asked softly. “You shouldn’t be wandering the castle at this time of night, it’s not safe--”

“I was looking for you,” she sniffed, burying her face into Jack’s shoulder.

“Me?” Jack asked, a little amused. “Do you even know where the Slytherin Common Room is?” Emma shook her head into his shoulder. “Is that why you were out here?” Emma nodded her head. “So why--?”

“I had a nightmare,” Emma whispered, tightening her hold around Jack’s neck.

Jack’s eyes widened and a soft “Oh,” left his mouth. He adjusted his hold on his sister and used one hand to run it comfortingly through her hair.

For as long as Jack could remember, Emma had been plagued by nightmares. While they had increased since their father’s death, she had always had a problem with them. The only thing that could soothe her or ward off the nightmares was her brother. She felt safe with him, and she knew he could chase the darkness away.

“Can you sing?” Emma asked softly.

Jack sighed, “Emma, you do know we’re breaking curfew, right? Singing won’t exactly help with staying quiet.”

“Please?” Emma pleaded, staring at her brother with bright, shimmering eyes.

Jack huffed with a small laugh, “You have me wrapped around your finger. I taught you the Puppy Dog Pout, and now it’s being used against me. Unfair.” Emma giggled at Jack’s mock indignation, as Jack sighed in defeat again. “Alright,” Jack relented, “what do you want me to--”

“Talyor Swift,” Emma answered promptly. Jack groaned, and Emma giggled again. “Pleeeease, Jack?”

“Okay, okay...” Jack grumbled. “But I’ve got to be quiet, okay? Let’s get you back to Gryffindor Tower.”

Jack adjusted his hold on Emma, and she rested her head lightly on Jack’s shoulder as he began the walk up to the seventh floor.

_“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’d never let you go, when all those shadows almost killed your light...”_

Jack continued singing softly as he heard Emma’s breathing slow down. By the time they had reached the Fat Lady’s portrait - after using one of Jack’s shortcuts - she had fallen fast asleep.

_“Just close your eyes...you’ll be alright...come morning light, you and I’ll be safe...and...sound.”_

Jack finished the song with a light smile aimed at Emma’s face, but as he glanced at the Fat Lady’s portrait, his face melted into a frown.

 _How the heck am I gonna get her inside without waking her up?_ Jack really didn’t want to wake up his sister, but he didn’t know the password, and he couldn’t stand here all night.

 _Maybe I’ll get lucky and someone is up late_ , Jack thought as he walked up to the portrait. He knocked three times on the portrait frame, and luckily didn’t wake up the Fat Lady. He waited for thirty seconds and almost began to knock again when the portrait swung open.

“Okay, who forgot the password already--Jack? What’re ye doin’ here?”

“Merida, thank Merlin,” Jack sighed in relief at the friendly face. “Can we come in?”

Merida looked at the sleeping girl in his arms. “Is that yer sister? What’s she doing out? Are ye dragging her into your schemes already?”

“ _No_ ,” Jack said pointedly. “Emma’s a good kid. But she’s tired and probably wants to sleep in her own bed rather than the hallway. Can we come in?”

“Yeh, come on then,” Merida said, stepping aside and letting the pair into the Gryffindor Common Room.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve been in here,” Jack said, looking around appreciatively. “This is _so_ much homier than the Slytherin Common Room.”

“So what’re ye doin’ up so late, and how did Emma get caught up in it?” Merida asked, arms crossed in front of her.

“Believe it or not, I just wanted a midnight snack from the kitchens. I found Emma in the Entrance Hall, she was...looking for me,” Jack finished awkwardly.

“Looking for ye? Why?”

Jack sighed and gently placed the sleeping Emma on a nearby couch.

“Emma has a problem with nightmares,” Jack admitted softly, lightly moving Emma’s bangs out of her face as she slept. “I’m the only one she goes to when she gets them.”

“Poor lamb,” Merida cooed softly, moving to sit on an arm chair adjacent to their couch. “What’d she do when you were here? Ye were at Hogwarts for 5 years before she got here, what’d she do then?”

Jack chuckled as a faint blush coated his cheeks. “I uh...have you ever heard of an iPod?”

“What’s an aye pod?” Merida asked.

Jack shook his head with a smile. “No, an iPod, it’s...a way for muggles to store music and listen to it on the go.”

“Wow!” Merida’s eyes lit up. “Muggles have the best stuff.”

“Yeah, well, I...recorded some music for Emma to listen to, so whenever she wakes up from a nightmare, she can listen to that. But electronics don’t work in Hogwarts, so she didn’t have that to listen to...so she came looking for me. Without knowing where the Snake Pit is,” Jack chuckled.

“You recorded music...Jack Frost, are ye tellin’ meh ye can _sing_?” Merida smirked. Jack’s face flushed as Merida let out a string of uncontrollable giggles. “Oh, tha’s brilliant. Come on, then, giv’us a show.”

“Maybe another time, like when my sister’s not sleeping and after I’ve had a few glasses of firewhiskey,” Jack allowed, to which Merida snorted.

“Where do ye even get tha’ stuff?” Merida chuckled, though she had long given up expecting an answer for the mischievous Slytherin.

Just as she thought, Jack just smiled and leaned back into the couch. “So what are you doing up?” Jack asked, noting that Merida was still wearing her uniform shirt and skirt. “Were you planning on sleeping at all tonight?”

Merida frowned and looked to a nearby table. Jack followed her gaze and noticed a stack of books on the table as well as pieces of parchment scattered around it. Some of the parchment had been balled up and tossed around.

“How do you have homework already?” Jack asked incredulously.

Merida sighed in frustration, “It’s _summer_ work. Ay was suppose’ to write an essay about a muggle object and explain what muggles use it for in relation to what wizards would use instead. This summer’s _incident_ made it slip my mind,” Merida added with a mumble.

“I could tell you about iPods,” Jack grinned lightly, tactfully staying away from the uncomfortable topic of Merida’s summer.

Merida’s gaze snapped back to Jack, her face lighting up. “Would yeh?” she asked excitedly. “Aye, you’d be saving my skin, Frosty.”

“No problem,” Jack shrugged. “It’s the least I can do,” he added, nodding his head towards Emma, “we’re lucky you’re awake. Even if one of us isn’t awake still,” he added fondly, smiling down at Emma. “Why don’t I bring her up to bed before we start on iPods?”

Merida snorted with a small giggle. “Normally I’d let ya do that, but I wouldn’t want Emma to gt hurt in the process.”

“Wha…?”

“Boys can’t go in the girls’ dormitories,” Merida explained.

“Well, they can’t in Slytherin either, but I’m just taking her to her room, it’ll be fine.”

“No, I mean ya can’ t’actually get up the stairs. There’s a spell on them so boys physically can’t go up them.”

“That’s stupid. It’s like they don’t trust us--hey! You were gonna let me go up there!” Jack glared at Merida, who snorted again.

“I’ll bring her up,” Merida said, getting up and walking towards the pair.

“Are you sure--?”

“Jack, Av’ve three brothers her age at home, Ay think I can handle this.”

Jack helped maneuver Emma into Merida’s arms, and watched as they disappeared up the staircase. Once they were out of view, he collapsed back into the couch. Jack rubbed his hands on his face and let out a long sigh, wondering how he was gonna help Emma through her nightmares at Hogwarts when he could barely get through his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My approach for every chapter is that if you have questions, ASK ME. This story will be developed based on what you want to know. For instance, in this chapter, Jack mentions that his father died. If you want to know why/how, ASK, and that will be an upcoming chapter. I have answers for most of the questions you may ask, and if I don't, then you'll be helping me fill in gaps for the backstory.
> 
> Thanks for reading the first chapter! I have a LOT planned out for this fic, but not as much fully written out. You can see the working timeline for this on the tumblr page for this fic: http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumblr.com/timeline


	2. The Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their boat ride across the lake, Hiccup, Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel wait to find out which House they will spend the next seven years in.
> 
> (Takes place at the beginning of 1st year)

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor Sprout began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can sit in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts.  You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points.  At the end of the year, the House Cup is awarded to the house with the most points, and I wish you all luck!  The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has produced splendid witches and wizards, so I know you will be happy with whichever house you end up in.  The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily, I will be back in a moment to retrieve you."

The din previously muffled by the closed door roared as Professor Sprout opened the door and slipped out, and then noise quieted again as it closed, though the first years began muttering to each other almost instantly.

“So, how do they sort us?” Jack asked, glancing at his fellow first years huddled in the small chamber.  “Magical ability?  Height?  Hair color?” he suggested, looking at a bush of red hair in front of him.

“My dad just said that they had a way to determine which house best suited us, but he didn’t say anything else,” Hiccup shrugged.  “I overheard someone say we had to wrestle a troll, but I think my dad would have been a lot more excited about it if that were the case,” he added with a slight deadpan.

Jack snorted, “Yeah right, like trolls exist.”

“Well…” Hiccup trailed off.

“They exist?!”

“Yeah they do,” Hiccup smiled.  “Gobber insists he’s seen one before, but they generally stay in mountainous areas.”

Jack was about to ask more when Professor Sprout reappeared.

* * *

 

“This way, First Years!” Professor Sprout called.

Merida turned and grinned a Rapunzel who smiled in turn.  “This is it!” she said.

The doors to the Great Hall burst open, and Merida strode in behind Professor Sprout, taking in everything she could.  Her father had told her about the Great Hall, but even his storytelling couldn’t do this justice.

“The candles are floating,” a messy haired brunet muttered to a heavily freckled boy next to him.  “How are they floating?”

 _Must be a muggleborn,_ Merida thought to herself.

“It’s called magic for a reason,” the freckled boy answered with a chuckle, though he too was mesmerized by the grandeur of the Hall.

As the group passed between two tables, Merida looked to her right and saw the scarlet and gold coloring on each student’s badge and robe.   _In a few minutes, I’ll be sitting with them,_ she thought with a grin.

* * *

 

The line of first years reached the front of the Great Hall and grouped in front of the staff table where Professor Sprout stood waiting for them next to a stool with a ratty looking hat on it.  There even seemed to be old singe marks on the worn hat.

“It’s said that the hat belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself,” Merida whispered excitedly.

“Didn’t Rowena Ravenclaw have a diadem?” Rapunzel whispered back.  “That would have been much nicer and probably better kept.”

The girls giggled before someone cleared their throat.  At first, Rapunzel assumed that Professor Sprout had made the noise, but she was surprised to see the hat on the stool seemingly straighten itself, and she saw folds of the hat move into what looked like a mouth and eyes.

A millenium ago, I think,

Before I was lest worn,

Four founders came together,

And dear Hogwarts School was born.

 

Each founder picked the qualities

That he or she liked best,

They put their thoughts inside me,

And now here is your test.

 

Do you have the heart, the courage

Strong Gryffindor admired?

Or perhaps the wit, the knowledge

Fair Ravenclaw required.

 

Would Hufflepuff suit you better,

With your honest dedication?

Or Slytherin, with your ambition,

Or your purest of relations?

 

Don't fret, my friends, I will decide

Which house is best for all.

But listen well, I warn you now,

That divisions do appall.

 

For no side can be strongest

Whether they are good or not,

Than when we use the qualities

That I reveal you've got

 

For bravery and teamwork,

And a longing to succeed,

Along with knowledge, sure and strong,

Are qualities we all need.

 

So step right up, slap me on,

I'll tell you what to do.

The Sorting Hat will place you

With others just like you.

 

But heed my warning, listen clear,

Divided though you be:

Together we're united,

Through bonds of wizardry.

_(by: I_Still_Trust_Snape on MuggleNet.com, with some edits by me)_

“Did the hat just sing that, or is she really good at ventriloquism?” a boy asked behind her, the same who had commented on the candles.  He received a few nervous chuckles in response as the rest of the hall applauded the Hat’s song, but nobody gave him an answer as Professor Sprout began to speak again.

“When I call your name, please come up front, put on the hat, and sit on the stool,” she said, gesturing to a long roll of parchment in her hand.  “Adler, William!”

A portly boy with curly black hair stepped forward after a moment’s hesitation.  He placed the hat carefully on his head and sat down.  After a few quiet moments, the Hat burst out, “RAVENCLAW!”

The table to the group’s left erupted in cheers, and after some prodding from Professor Sprout, William went over and sat down with them, shaking hands with some of the older students as they patted his back and welcomed him to the house.

“Boyson, Catherine!”

“SLYTHERIN!” the Hat declared, and Rapunzel watched as the cheerey blonde girl practically skipped toward the table.

As the next name was called, Rapunzel zoned out a bit, now worried.  She had heard the various stories about the different houses, and though they now tried to highlight that bad witches and wizards could come from any house, it was hard to deny that most of them came from Slytherin.  That Catherine just looked so happy and nice though, and if she could be a Slytherin, what if the hat put her in Slytherin?  Would she still be able to be friends with Merida?  Rapunzel agreed that Merida was destined for Gryffindor, but secretly Rapunzel had no idea where she would go.  She knew that Gryffindors and Slytherins had a strong rivalry between each other, would their friendship survive that?

“Corona, Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel squeaked hearing her name, then rushed forward to put the hat on her head.  With much more nervousness than she had a moment ago, she sat on the stool and waited.

 _“Hmm, strong hearted, determined, loyal,”_ the Hat began speaking in her ear, _“but…ah yes, such a thirst for knowledge!  No doubt, better be RAVENCLAW!”_

Rapunzel beamed as the Hat declared her new house to the entire Hall.  She flashed a quick smile at Merida before rushing over to her new housemates, shaking hands with many of them, and sitting next to William.

* * *

 

Merida grinned as Rapunzel swept over to the Ravenclaw table.  She had a good feeling that Rapunzel would end up as a Claw, but she was just happy that the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables were next to each other.  Even if they weren’t in the same house, she was determined to remain close with her childhood friend.

“Dunbroch, Merida!”

 _Here we go!  Gryffindor, here I come!_ Merida strode confidently up to the stool, and placed the hat on her head.  Before she could even sit on the stool, the Hat shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!”

“Yes!” Merida cheered, pumping her fist.  The Gryffindor table echoed her enthusiasm, a loud din coming from their table.  In her excitement, Merida started heading over to the table until--“Some of us still need to get sorted!”

Merida stopped short, her face flushing, as she ran back to hand the hat back to Professor Sprout, catching a glance as the boy who had yelled.  He had very broad-set shoulders and matted-black hair.  She sent him a quick sneer before rushing back to the Gryffindor table.

_I really hope he’s not in Gryffindor._

* * *

 

“Frost, Jackson!”

Still chuckling over Merida’s excitement, he stepped up to the stool, placed the Hat on his head, sat down and waited.

Nervousness started to creep in until the Hat spoke in his ear, _“Let’s see now, aren’t you the tricky one?  Such loyalty and devotion to your sister, but hmm...that doesn’t seem to carry over to everyone, does it?”_

Jack frowned as the Hat continued on, wary of the voice speaking to him.   _“I see a large need to prove yourself, wanting to stand out in the crowd; you’re sick of being left behind, as an after thought,”_ the Hat prattled on.

 _I just want to be in a house with someone I know, put me with Hiccup…_ Jack wished silently, and he jumped in his seat when the Hat chuckled in response.

 _“This is about you, and I can’t very well take that into consideration if I haven’t sorted him yet, can I?  Well now, let’s see...hmmm, yes, I think you would do best in_ SLYTHERIN!”

The table on the far left cheered, and Jack took off the Hat and made his way over to the table.  He made eye contact with Hiccup on his way by.  He grinned at Hiccup, and he gave a half-hearted smile in return, which dampened his spirits a bit.

 _It doesn’t matter what house I’m in,_ Jack thought determinedly, sitting down next to Catherine and smiling at his new classmates.   _I can still be friends with Hiccup, no matter where he ends up, even if he’s in Gryffindor._

* * *

 

“Haddock, Hamish!”

Hiccup made his way up to the stool, a little disheartened that Jack had ended up in Slytherin.  He still wanted to be friends with Jack, but he was worried that being in Slytherin would make Jack less likely to want to be near him.

Hiccup placed the Hat on his head and sat down on the stool.

 _“Let’s see now, where to place you?”_ the Hat began.

 _Gryffindor, Gryffindor, please, Gryffindor,_ Hiccup begged silently.

 _“Gryffindor, eh?  Your father was a Gryffindor I remember, but no, that would not fit with you at all.  You are brave and strong-hearted, yes, but you are filled with passion, determination, loyalty.  Yes, I’m sure, it must be_ HUFFLEPUFF!”

Hiccup deflated, already imagining his father’s disappointed gaze, but he forced a smile on his face as the Hufflepuff table roared for him, and he went over to join them, accepting handshakes and the like.  He looked across the hall at the Slytherin table again, as saw Jack looking at him. Jack was grinning with a wide smile, and Hiccup tried to return it with more vigor this time. It didn’t matter what house they were both in, they would still see each other in some classes, and they could still hang out.   _On the bright side, it’ll be easier to remain friends with him now that I’m not in Gryffindor,_ Hiccup thought with a wry smile, returning his attention to the Sorting.

There were quite a few kids from his hometown in his class, including Astrid Hofferson, who had just been sorted into Gryffindor.

“Jorgenson, Snotlout!”

 _And of course, Snotlout,_ Hiccup internally groaned, watching his cousin stride up to the stool. After a long two minutes, the Hat finally declared him a “GRYFFINDOR” to Hiccup’s surprise. Hiccup watched Snotlout stride over to the Gryffindor table, and noticed that Merida Dunbroch looked distinctly miffed at his Sorting.

“Ingerman, Fishlegs!” was immediately put in Ravenclaw, which didn’t surprise Hiccup at all, nor did the Thorston twins’ sorting into Slytherin.  The Sorting ended with “Whitman, Heather!” being sorted into Hufflepuff.  She sat down a couple seats away from Hiccup and flashed him a kind smile, which he returned.

Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress, stood up at the Staff Table.  “Now that everyone had been Sorted, you are welcome to enjoy the Feast!  Tuck in!” she announced.

As Hiccup returned his attention to the table in front of him, he found that the previously empty plates were now piled with various types of food.  He loaded his plate with various items, and looking around at his fellow first years, he joined in the conversation that had begun.

 _You know what?  Hufflepuff won’t be too bad,_ he thought with a smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so tempted to stick Merida in Slytherin because she was SO sure she would be in Gryffindor, but that was really the only reason she had going for her, and other than that, she really is a sure fire Gryffindor.
> 
> My approach for every chapter is that if you have questions, ASK ME. This story will be developed based on what you want to know. I have answers for most of the questions you may ask, and if I don't, then you'll be helping me fill in gaps for the back story.
> 
> Thanks for reading the second chapter! I have a LOT planned out for this fic, but not as much fully written out. You can see the working timeline for this on the tumblr page for this fic: http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumblr.com/timeline


	3. Into the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has gotten on the caretaker's bad side, and as a result he has been trying to chase down his stolen Charms essay for the past hour. But Jack will quickly learn that his essay was not worth running into the forest.
> 
> (Takes place a few days before the Hufflepuff/Slytherin Quidditch match near the end of 3rd year)

“Get back here, you stupid sheep!”

“Maa-ah-ah-ah,” Fungus crowed back, muffled by the roll of paper in its mouth.

Jack had been chasing the caretaker’s pet sheep for the past hour, attempting to get his Charms essay back.  At this point, he had spent more time chasing the sheep than he had working on the essay.  But it was starting to get close to curfew, and he needed to get the essay back before he got caught out again, so soon after getting in trouble with the grouchy caretaker just a week prior.

“He probably rigged this,” Jack scowled, staring down the rogue sheep.  “He would love _nothing_ more than to catch me up after hours again.  Hiccup was right, Mildew’s crazy.”

“Maa-aah-ah.”  
  
“If that was a bloody confirmation--ah, damn, now I’m swearing like I’m British,” Jack pouted.  Fungus trotted away around a corner.  “You know more shortcuts than I do!” Jack seethed.

_“Maa-ah-ah-aah.”_

This time, Fungus was much quieter, almost muffled.  Jack turned and look out the window, and to his surprise saw Fungus on the grounds outside the castle.  Jack let out a very frustrated groan.  “ _How…?_  No. No, I’m just gonna...I’m just gonna get my essay back, shear all the wool off that thing, and--oh come on, don’t go into the forest!” Jack pleaded to the walls, watching as Fungus trotted away from the castle.

By the time Jack had made his way out of the castle and into the forest, he was beginning to think that it might be a better use of his time to just go back to the common room and start the essay from scratch.  Granted, he probably should have come to this realization before leaving the castle and going on a wild-sheep chase for a stupid roll of parchment.

“You’ve got one chance, wool bag!  Give me back my damn homework, and I won’t hand you over to the kitchens for dinner!”

“I don’t think you’ll need to worry about homework for much longer, Jack.”  
  
Jack froze.

Before he could turn around, before he could draw out his wand, thin black ropes slithered around him and locked his limbs together.  With his legs brought together quickly, he lost his balance and fell onto his side, letting out a muffled grunt.  He heard footsteps canter closer to him, and looking toward the noise, his gaze fell upon Pitch Black.

Jack struggled against the ropes as he tried to shuffle away, but the bonds were too tight, and Pitch only laughed at his efforts.

“Let me go!” Jack yelled, continuing his useless struggle.

“Oh I will, Jack,” Pitch smirked, “but not until after I’ve taken your magic.  Your father got in the way last time, but he’s not around to protect you this time, is he?” Jack squeezed his eyes shut, unwanted memories of his last encounter with Pitch surfacing as he spoke.  “I’ll give you one chance, Jack,” Pitch continued fluidly.  “You can join me willingly, or I can force you.  I can guarantee one method is much more painful than the other.”

Jack tried desperately to reach his wand, but his arms could not budge against the rope.  With a resigned sigh, he set his face into a determined frown, and stared head-on at Pitch.  “I am not joining you,” Jack said, his voice surprisingly steady.

“You won’t have a choice,” Pitch replied, raising his wand.  Jack closed his eyes and waited, bracing himself for the impending spell.

_“Debilitimore.”_

Jack screamed.

~~

Hiccup was tempted to fly himself back to his room on his broomstick.  He was exhausted from his grueling Quidditch practice, which lasted far longer than Hufflepuff had the pitch booked for.  It was already near curfew, Hiccup noted with a frown, picking up his pace.  It didn’t help that he had still been holding the Quaffle as the team was leaving, so he had to double back and return it while the rest of the team left.

“Maa-ah-ah-aah.”

Hiccup turned in surprise, watching as a disoriented-looking Fungus stumbled out of the forest.  “Fungus?” Hiccup asked as the sheep moved steadily closer.  As he did, Hiccup noticed a roll of parchment in his mouth.  “What do you have there?” Hiccup asked, reaching out to the sheep.  Without much resistance, Fungus gave up the sheet of parchment and continued on his way.

“What is this?” Hiccup muttered, unrolling the parchment and glancing at the heading.  “‘ _Cheering Charms by Jack Fros_ t’...what are you doing with Jack’s Charms essay--?”

“AAAAAAARGHHHHH!”

Hiccup’s head swivelled toward the forest as the bloodcurdling scream continued to echo off the castle walls.  His eyes darted to the essay paper in his hand, to the retreating Fungus, and then to the forest.  Hiccup contemplated running to the castle for help, or even Hagrid’s Hut, but as the scream continued, Hiccup swept his leg over his broomstick and shot towards the forest.

~~

Pitch watched in contained glee as Jack writhed on the ground beneath him.  The black ropes that had previously held him were now digging into his body, helping the spell take root.

“There’s no one to save you, Frost,” Pitch gloated, knowing full well Jack was in no state to hear him.  “In mere minutes, you’re magic will be mine.”

As the black ropes disappeared fully into Jack’s body, violet sparks began to burst from Pitch’s wand, surrounding Jack’s body and attacking him, penetrating his skin just as the ropes had.

Pitch attention wavered for a second as he glanced into the forest towards the school.  Someone was approaching the clearing fast, but Pitch paid them no mind.  Whoever it was would not make it in time.  Now that the process had begun, there was no stopping it.  If Pitch hadn’t wanted to witness the boy’s pain, he would have left already and waited for Jack to come to him.  If the incoming person posed a threat, he could easily leave.  Smirking at the thought, he turned his attention back to Jack.

~~

Hiccup had been flying for less than a minute when he caught sight of violet sparks in the distance.  He flattened himself on the broomstick handle and shot forward towards the sparks and the screaming.  He knew without a doubt now that the screaming was coming from Jack, but he had no clue what could cause such prolonged agony.  Sure, they had been warned from day one that the forest was full of dangerous creatures, but what could cause the sparks other than a spell--?

“It seems we have company, Jack.”

Hiccup swerved to a stop in midair, coming across a clearing that held a tall pointed man almost casually pointing his wand at a pained Jack writhing on the ground.  Jack’s hands were fisted in the grass beneath him, his back arched, and his forehead pressed into the ground.  His eyes were screwed shut as he continued to twitch and scream, a small line of drool dripping from his mouth.

As Hiccup tore his gaze away from the sight and was startled to find the Nightmare King himself smirking cruelly at him.  Hiccup faltered and instinctively reached to his pocket for his wand, but his heart stopped when he remembered he never brought his wand to Quidditch practice.

Pitch Black seemed to read his mind and his smirk grew.  “No wand?” he taunted lightly.  “Then you’re no threat.  It seems like your rescue party came a tad ill-prepared, Jack,” Pitch mocked, jabbing his wand in Jack’s direction and then ripping it away.  The stream of violet sparks ceased, but Jack screams only seemed to increase at the separation.  “You came too late, boy,” Pitch leered at Hiccup, who had dismounted his broom but was not foolish enough to attack wandless.  “The process is nearly complete.  Soon, Jack Frost will be mine.”

Without warning, a red jet shot from Pitch’s wand, and only Hiccup’s Quidditch training saved him from being hit.  He threw himself to the ground, just barely avoiding the spell, but when he looked up to prepare for another hit, Pitch had vanished.

Hiccup scrambled to his feet and skidded to his knees at Jack’s side.  Jack was still screaming, but his voice was much hoarser.  Hiccup didn’t know what to do.  His first thought would have been to use Finite Incantatem, but he reminded himself that he didn’t have a wand.  He thought briefly of trying to use Jack’s, but he didn’t have the time to experiment around with someone else’s wand.  He gazed helplessly at Jack, who continued to roll and twitch on the ground, and noticed in fright that Jack’s hair was changing color.  From the roots on his head, the brown pigment of his hair was steadily fading to a silvery white.  At this observation, Hiccup also noticed that Jack’s skin was paling dramatically.

“No, nonono, c’mon Jack,” Hiccup muttered, placing his hands on Jack’s shoulders.  “C’mon, don’t let him win, fight it!”

Jack’s voice broke on a final scream, and his mouth stayed open in silence.  His eyes remained tightly closed, but his body began to relax onto the ground.

“No, NO!” Hiccup yelled, shaking Jack’s shoulder, noting with dismay that Jack’s hair was now completely white.  “I gotta get you to the castle,” Hiccup muttered to himself, looking for where he had dropped his broomstick.  He rushed over to the discarded broom and fell to his knees beside Jack again.

“How am I gonna do this?” Hiccup asked himself.  Thinking quickly, he placed his broom next to Jack on the ground, and rolled Jack onto his side.  He placed the broom underneath Jack as he rolled him back onto his stomach.  Blushing at the awkward position, Hiccup straddled Jack and grasped the handle next to Jack’s neck.  He kicked up off the ground, and hovered briefly to make sure he could fly while balancing Jack on the broom.

Without sparing another second, Hiccup shot towards the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 3! Do you want to know what happened after this? Or do you want to hear more about Jack and Pitch's first encounter? Tell me what you want to see next, and that's what I'll write!
> 
> Follow the blog for this story here: [one-spell-at-a-time](http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumbr.com)


	4. Out of the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup tries to find a way to get Jack into the castle, and Jack comes to terms with his new look.
> 
> The direct continuation of "Into the Forest," still set in 3rd year.

Hiccup was morbidly glad that Jack was unconscious and no longer flailing around, because it made it much easier to keep him on the broomstick.  Although it would have been much easier if Jack had been conscious to help keep balance on the broom.  As it was, Hiccup’s attention was split between flying and keeping both Jack and himself safely on the broom.  While Hiccup was managing flight fairly well, he came across a problem when he reached the castle doors.

“Shit,” Hiccup swore, glaring at the closed doors in front of him.  He quickly tried to lift his left hand off the broom to potentially open the door, but almost immediately the broom shuddered and became unstable.  He shot his hand back to the handle, his right arm tightening its grip on Jack as he shifted dangerously at the movement.  He tried to lift his hand again to no avail, the extra weight making it impossible to steer without his hand steadying the broom.

He glanced along the tower walls, and spotted a light coming from a first floor window a few hundred feet away.  Hiccup shot along the wall and swerved to a stop in front of the lit window.  None-to-gently, he kicked the window to try and get someone’s attention, hoping a friendly face would respond.  To his relief, Heather’s startled face appeared in the window.  She opened the window, and began to ask, “Hiccup?  What are you doing?  Who is that--?”

“No time!” Hiccup yelled, flying into the room and instantly recognizing it as the Hufflepuff Third Year girls’ room.  “You gotta open the common room door for me!”

“But Hiccup--”

“ _Please_!” Hiccup pleaded.  “Jack’s _dying_ ,” he added in desperation, hoping that Jack was in fact still with them.  The lack of response from Jack was terrifying him, and he hadn’t taken the time to check if he was still breathing.

Without anymore hesitation, Heather rushed to open the girls’ room door, and ran down the steps into the Common Room.  Many Hufflepuffs were still awake and watched in confusion as Heather raced to the door, Hiccup and Jack flying on a single broomstick behind her.

“Hiccup?  What are you--?” Finn, the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain yelled, but Hiccup ignored him as Heather opened the door and he shot through the opening, flying as fast as possible to the Hospital Wing.

In less than a minute, Hiccup appeared outside of the Hospital Wing doors and began kicking the door furiously.  He could hear hurried footsteps behind the door and muffled shouting which became clear as the door opened.

“--PLACE OF REST, QUIET DOWN--!” Madam Pomfrey yelled, but Hiccup interrupted her by flying into the Wing and to an empty bed.  Madam Pomfrey came running in after him, ready to berate him, until she noticed the unconscious Jack in Hiccup’s arms.

“Help him!” Hiccup pleaded, trying to place Jack on the bed.  Madam Pomfrey quickly helped Hiccup get Jack off the broom and onto the bed, and Hiccup immediately hopped off his broom and hovered to the side as Madam Pomfrey began assessing him.

“What happened?”  
  
“I don’t know--he was screaming--so loud--and his hair turned white--Pitch Black--” Hiccup rambled, unable to keep his thoughts together.

“Slow down, Mr. Haddock.  I need you to explain to me what happened,” Madam Pomfrey said in a slow, stern manner.

Hiccup took a deep breath and tried again.  “I was coming home from Quidditch practice, and I heard Jack screaming from the forest, so I flew to him, and found Pitch Black casting a spell on him.  I don’t know what it was, he just wouldn’t stop _screaming_ ,” Hiccup stopped speaking, his voice catching in the back of his throat as he thought of what he saw.

“Pitch?  Mr. Haddock, are you sure?”  Hiccup nodded.  “Then I need you to go to the Headmistress’s office immediately and tell her to come here.  The password is Magna Lacus.  The faster you can, the better,” she added, nodding towards his broomstick.

Hiccup nodded, grabbed his broom, and flew as fast as he could.

~~

_“Get away from my son!”_

_“Dad, NO!”_

_“Crucio.”_

_“He’s not around to protect you this time, is he?”_

_“One method is much more painful than the other.”_

_“I am not joining you.”_

_“You won’t have a choice. **Debilitimore**.”_

Jack’s eyes shot opened and he took a strangled breath like he had just come up from water for air.  His shuddering gasps continued until he became aware of a calming hand stroking the hair out of his forehead.  His vision cleared, and he looked at his mother who was whispering soothing words, a worn and relieved look on her face.

“Mom,” Jack croaked, and immediately coughed at the sore dryness in his throat.

“Sit up, honey,” his mother said softly, reaching for a small glass of water.  “Sip this, it’ll help.”

Jack kept coughing as he slowly sat up, wincing as he did so, and shakily reached for the offered glass.  He sipped the cool water, and sighed in relief as it soothed his raw throat.  His mother gently pried the glass out of his hand and rubbed his back comfortingly as Jack forced out some residual coughs.

The coughing had sparked pain in his throat, causing a small burning sensation in the back of his eyes.  As he thought about his dre--his _nightmare_ , he shuddered, and began to hunch forward, the pressure at his eyes increasing.

“Oh, Jack,” his mother sighed, pulling him into her arms.  Jack accepted the embrace without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her waist.  His body shook with silent sobs as he gripped his mother tightly, his face hidden on her shoulder.  The events of the night before raced through his mind, and he struggled to keep a hold on reality.  He tried to focus on the hand circling his back, and the hand stroking his hair, and eventually his breathing relaxed.  Almost reluctantly, he pulled away from his mother.

“Do you want me to ask the nurse to turn up the temperature?” his mom asked, placing a hand on his forehead.  “You’re freezing.”

“Am I?” Jack asked, going slightly cross-eyed as he glanced up towards her hand.  “You don’t feel warm--wait.”  Jack reached up quickly and started pulling at the tips of his hair to try and bring it into his line of vision.  “Is...is my hair _white_?!”

“Jack--”

“Why are my hands so pale?!” Jack continued, catching a glimpse of his hands.  Wordlessly, his mother handed him a mirror, and as he held it up to his face, Jack wondered if this was a joke.

His previously dark brown hair had been bleached a silvery white, his eyebrows a salt and pepper mix.  His once warm brown eyes were now a bright, icy blue, and his tanned skin was now startlingly pale.  Jack raised a hand to his face, almost as if trying to convince himself that he was in fact looking at himself in the mirror.

“What happened?” Jack whispered, his hands and the mirror falling to his lap.

“Your friend Hiccup said your hair changed color during the a-attack,” his mother explained with a brief stutter.  “Ms. Pomfrey thinks your eyes changed at the same time.”

“Hiccup was _there_?  Is he okay?” Jack asked quickly, dreading the idea that Hiccup had witnessed any of his confrontation with Pitch.

“Hiccup’s fine.  A little shaken up, but fine.  He arrived while Pitch was performing a spell on you,” his mother explained, her voice watery.  “Pitch left, and Hiccup brought you back to the castle.  Professor McGonagall contacted me last night, I brought Emma to your Uncle North’s and came straight here.  Ms. Pomfrey made Hiccup leave last night, said he needed rest.  I’m sure he’ll be back later, he was so worried about you.”

It made sense, Jack thought.  Thinking back, he really had no memory of that night beyond running into Pitch and having that spell cast on him.  After that, all he could remember was pain until he had woken up minutes ago.  He would have had to make it to the castle somehow, and it was unlikely that someone would stumble across him in the forest before a creature found him.

“Emma doesn’t know, right?” Jack asked.  His mother shook her head, and Jack released a sigh.  “Can we not tell her?”

“For now, that would probably be best,” his mother agreed quietly.  “She’ll ask questions though.”

Jack chuckled, “I know.”  Jack leaned back into the pillows of his bed and let out a long yawn, wincing at the pull on this throat.

“Why don’t you get some more rest, honey--”

“ _No_ ,” Jack said quickly, jackknifing up in bed again and cringing at the sudden movement.  “No, Mom, I-I can’t...I can’t sleep--no--”  Jack began coughing again, and he noticed small specs of blood on his hands as he continued.  As his coughing fit settled down, he noticed Madam Pomfrey had come over, with what seemed like another glass of water.

“Drink this, Mr. Frost, it’ll help,” she said, handing the glass to him.

Jack shook his head even though he accepted the glass.  “Nothing can help, I’m not going to sleep,” he said stubbornly.

“You misunderstand, Mr. Frost,” Madam Pomfrey said gently.  “That’s Dreamless Sleep Potion, it will allow you to go to sleep without having any dreams.”

“Or nightmares?” Jack clarified hopefully.

“Yes, but you need to be cautious with this potion.  Though the effects are certainly helpful, this potion tends to be very addictive after prolonged use.  I will be giving you a prescription of the potion, but you’ll need to work yourself off of it, understand?”

Jack nodded distractedly, his gaze fixed on the clear substance in the glass.  After letting out a short sigh, he sipped at the liquid, and then downed the rest of the glass in one go.  In moments, a warm fuzziness clouded his mind, and he sank back comfortably into the bed.  He could hear his mother and Madam Pomfrey talking, though he couldn’t make out the words.  He closed his eyes, and soon he couldn’t hear a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't recognize some of those quotes in Jack's nightmare? Want to know where they come from? Ask and you shall receive!
> 
> Next up on the docket is a Quidditch match from 5th or 6th year, teams TBD (feel free to suggest!)


	5. What Homework?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: "This is Jack's first Thanksgiving outside of the United States, and he's not used to having classes that day."

Jack walked into the Great Hall, a little early for dinner so there wasn’t too many people around.  He snatched an apple from the Slytherin table so he could claim he ate there, and then glanced down the Hufflepuff table.  Smiling as he caught sight of a mop brown hair, he made his way to the boy, only to frown incredulously when he saw _A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration_ open in front of him, his quill scribbling away on a piece of parchment.

“Hiccup, _why_ are you doing homework right now?” Jack asked, sitting down next to him.

“Uh, because I haven’t done it yet?” Hiccup glanced up before returning to his work.  “I still have Herbology and Astronomy to finish by tomorrow.”

“Aw, come on, Hic,” Jack groaned.  “You’ve got all weekend to work on it, relax!”

That comment stopped Hiccup and he fixed Jack with a stare.  “Jack, it’s due tomorrow.”

“We don’t have class until Monday,” Jack dismissed, taking a bite of his apple.

“Today’s Wednesday.”

“And tomorrow’s Thursday,” Jack rolled his eyes.  “But it’s also Thanksgiving.  Everyone knows we have that off.  And after the Halloween feast, I can’t _wait_ for dinner tomorrow--what?” Jack stopped talking, noticing that Hiccup’s head had dropped into his hand.

“Jack, what country are you in right now?”

“England,” Jack answered promptly.  “No wait, someone said Hogwarts is technically in Scotland.”

“Okay, and why would we celebrate Thanksgiving here?” Hiccup prodded.

“Because it’s a day to celebrate what you’re thankful for?” Jack answered, not quite picking up on the problem.

“And…?”

“And...the first dinner thing between Pilgrims and Indians-- _oh_.”

Hiccup smirked before returning to his work.

“Wait, so we have class tomorrow?” Hiccup nodded.  “And homework due tomorrow?”  Hiccup nodded again.  Jack sighed, letting his head fall to the table in front of him.  “Hiccup?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have an extra quill and piece of parchment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be posting a small continuation of this later today, but for now here's your Thanksgiving special. Otherwise, the next chapter should be the first Quidditch match of 5th year.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. What Turkey?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The followup to 'What Homework,' Hiccup has a little surprise for Jack this Thanksgiving.
> 
> ((Takes place the day after 'What Homework, on Thanksgiving, 1st year))

Hiccup entered the Great Hall the next morning, and wasn’t very shocked to find Jack passed out next to a plate of scrambled eggs at the Slytherin table. Making sure that Dagur hadn’t yet arrived, he headed over to the snakes’ table and sat next to his sleeping friend.

“I didn’t take your carrots, Mr. Bunnymund...” Jack mumbled in his sleep. Hiccup snorted, which woke Jack from his light doze. “Wha…?”

“Finish your homework?” Hiccup asked, his gaze darting down the Slytherin table, still checking for unfriendly faces.

“Barely,” Jack conceded, resting his chin on folded arms. “I can’t believe we have school on Thanksgiving. It’s un-patriotic.”

“Uh, yeah, it is, isn’t it,” Hiccup said wryly with a smirk.

Jack noticed the smirk and scowled. “Shut up,” he muttered, though without malice. “My sister gets as much of Uncle North’s apple pie as she wants and I get nothing,” he pouted. “No turkey, no stuffing, no mashed potatoes…”

Hiccup listened to Jack rattle off food items, each sounding more sacred than the next to Jack.

“Wait, I won’t get to see Uncle North until Christmas!” Jack said with sudden realization, his face falling. “Or Emma, or Mom, Dad…”

While Jack had been mourning the loss of his food, he seemed truly upset that he wouldn’t be with his family this year. While he didn’t necessarily share Jack’s level of homesickness, he could certainly understand missing your loved ones. Resolved on a plan, Hiccup stood up and told Jack, “Meet me outside the Hufflepuff Common Room before dinner.”

Jack blinked comically, coming out of his thoughts and looking up at Hiccup. “Why?”

Hiccup smiled, “You’ll see. You know where it is?” Jack nodded. “Alright, see you then!” he nodded before slipping over to the Hufflepuff table, sitting down next to Heather just as Dagur entered the Great Hall.

~~

Jack leaned on the wall outside of the Hufflepuff Common Room, keeping his head down as Hufflepuff students left. While it was wholly obvious he was a Slytherin based on his robes, he would rather avoid the eye contact which would inevitably beg the question ‘What are you doing here? You’re not welcome.’ Okay, so not completely a question, but Jack wasn’t willing to risk the contact. He was sleep deprived and moody, so he wasn’t feeling particularly amiable.

“Jack!”

Except with Hiccup, who had already proven to be a great friend. Jack looked up and acknowledged him with a smile, pulling himself away from the wall. Hiccup smiled in return, then beckoned Jack to follow him.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” was all Hiccup offered.

The pair walked down the corridor and soon came to a stop in front of a large painting of an assortment of fruit. Before Jack could ask what they were doing here, Hiccup reached up to the painting and scratched at the pear. To Jack’s surprise, the pear twitched, and the painting swung open.

Jack’s jaw dropped. Little creatures with large pointy ears were scurrying around a massive kitchen that looked to be the size of the Great Hall. There must have been hundreds of them running around, some handing the main courses for dinner that night, others preparing side dishes, drinks, desserts, and more.

“They’re called house elves,” Hiccup said, explaining the little creatures. “One of the 4th years told me about them and how they run the Hogwarts Kitchens. They’re responsible for making all of the food for the castle, and--”

“Master Hiccup!” one of the house elves squeaked, running up to the pair.

“--they call everyone Master,” Hiccup finished with an embarrassed smile.

“So I take it you’ve been here before?” Jack smirked.

“Once or twice,” Hiccup shrugged before turning his attention to the house elf. “Is everything ready?”

“Yes sir!” he squeaked. “Right this way, sirs!”

Jack watched as the elf skipped away, and followed when Hiccup gave him a light shove. Jack’s jaw dropped again when he saw a small table with a green and silver-trimmed table cloth, covered in--

“Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, butternut squash, corn, cranberry sauce, roasted asparagus, and apple pie, sir, just like you asked, sir!”

“Thank you, Tilly,” Hiccup responded.

“You did this?” Jack asked, rounding on Hiccup. “You did all this for...really?” Jack smiled, his eyes watering slightly. Hiccup nodded shyly, then let out a surprised yelp when Jack hugged him, repeating his thanks over and over.

“Is this why they call it Thanksgiving?” Hiccup asked as Jack pulled away. “You’re thanking me for giving you stuff? Is that all this holiday is?”

“Shut up,” Jack laughed, sitting at the table and motioning for Hiccup to sit down. “Happy Thanksgiving, Hic.”

“Happy Thursday, Jack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have questions? Ask them, and the answer will be an upcoming chapter! :) The next chapter will be the first Quidditch match of the 5th year season.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Amateur Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Flynn's first match as the Slytherin Quidditch captain, and Snotlout's first game as a member of the Gryffindor team. How will this match go?
> 
> (Takes place 5th year, first Quidditch match of the season)

“Hey, Frosty!”

Jack paused at the exit of the Slytherin Common Room, sighing tiredly and turning to face Flynn.  Flynn was trussed up in his Quidditch robes, a freshly polished captain’s badge gleaming on his chest.  The normally suave Slytherin looked surprisingly skittish as he approached.

“Hey, Fitz,” Jack smirked, leaning against the door frame.  “You have a game today?”

“It’s _Rider_ , and _obviously_ there’s a match today!” Flynn scowled at Jack, not amused at his snark.  “Are you gonna be cheering for your house for once?”

Jack shrugged, “I mean, you are playing Merida--”

“Yeah, the hair with legs--”

“ _Hey_!” Jack snapped.

“Sorry,” Flynn smirked this time.  “Well, who’s it gonna be, Frosty?  Your house or her?”

Jack rolled his eyes, “Merida’s my friend, of course I want her to do well.  But--” Jack continued, cutting off anything Flynn was about to say, “I’m obviously not gonna complain if we win.  Merida can play well and Slytherin can still come out with a win, it’s possible.”

Flynn nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.  “Also, do you know if, uh, Rapunzel will be, uh, at the game,” he stuttered, color rising in his cheeks.

Jack snorted, not surprised at the turn of the conversation, but decided to let Flynn squirm for a bit.  “Of course she is, she’s Merida’s best friend.”

“Right,” Flynn said resigned, almost expecting the answer.

Jack decided the take pity on the nervous captain, “ _But_ , I’m sure she’d be happy if you played well too,” he smirked as Flynn’s face slid into a goofy smile.

“Awesome, thanks Frosty!” Flynn nodded before strutting away.

“Flynn!” Jack called after him.  “Good luck today, captain!”

“Thanks!” he called back with a genuine smile.

* * *

 

“Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!  As usual, the opening match of the year is Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!  This is sure to be a great match with--”

Merida let the announcer’s voice, now Fishlegs Ingerman, fade out as she focused on the upcoming game.  She stood in the tunnel with the rest of her team, beater’s bat in hand, and surveyed the rest of her team.  Astrid stood near the front, calm and focused as usual, no stranger to the pressures of Quidditch.  This was Astrid’s third year on the team, and it was likely she would be chosen as next year’s captain.

There were two newly chosen captains this year, one of them being Hiccup.  Merida smirked, knowing the freckled boy would be scouting out both teams in today’s match.  The other newbie captain would be competing against them today.  While Flynn Rider wasn’t her favorite person in the world, anyone was a better captain than Dagur, and hopefully Slytherin wouldn’t be relying on their underhanded tactics like normal.

Snotlout stood next to her, uncharacteristically quiet.  This was his first Quidditch match ever, and though he would never admit it out loud, Merida could tell he was nervous.  As satisfied as that made Merida, she also hoped Snotlout would be over his nervousness and play as well as he had in practice.  He was a great beater when he wasn’t being obnoxious and hitting on Astrid.

“Alright, ready guys?” Greg Hyman, Gryffindor’s captain asked the team.  Everyone nodded their heads and made various noises in response.  “Mount your brooms.”

Merida swung her leg over her Cleansweep, and gripped her bat in her right hand.

“Heeeeeeere’s your Gryffindor team!” Fishlegs revved, and the team shot out of the tunnel in time with their names.  “Hyman, Dunbroch, Jorgenson, Hofferson, Chester, Meisner, and Mitchell!”

Merida soared over the Gryffindor stands, pumping her fist to draw a loud roar from the crowd.  She grinned at the rise in noise, putting on a burst of speed and circling the pitch, building up adrenaline for the match.  As she did so, the Slytherin team flew out of their tunnel (“Blake, Thorston, Thorston, Szerszunowicz, Beaty, Marik, and Rider!”), circling the field in formation and lining up around the center of the pitch, hovering in midair.

Flynn touched down in the center where Madam Tooth stood next to the Quidditch ball box, and Greg soon followed.  The boys gripped each other’s hands quickly then turned to Madam Tooth as she announced to the teams that they “best play by the rules if you know what’s good for you!”

With both teams on the pitch, all fourteen players hovered in a circle around Madam Tooth and the ball box next to her.  First, she opened the Snitch compartment and the tiny golden ball fluttered out teasingly, then shot to the sky.  Across from her, Merida could see Flynn already trying to track the small object, and she was sure their own Seeker, Haylee, was doing the same.

Next, she kicked the box, releasing the Bludgers.  “I’ll mark Tuff, you take Ruff,” Snotlout muttered to her.  To start the game, she and Snotlout decided to mark the opposing beaters until they could start into their specific game roles.

“Got it,” she nodded, keeping an eye on the raging Bludgers.

Finally, Tooth, picked up the Quaffle, and threw it up into the air.

“And the game begins!  Hofferson is quick to the Quaffle on her Nadder 1000 as she races towards the Slytherin goal posts, Beaty and Marik hot on her tail...”

Merida marked Ruffnut Thorston, who seems to be waiting for a chance to knock a Bludger towards a receiving chaser as Astrid streaked up the pitch with the Quaffle.  Ducking an incoming Slytherin chaser, she had a clear path towards the goal posts, until--

“Ooh, and a nasty Bludger hit to Hofferson, Beaty recovers the Quaffle.”

Merida scowled, looking for Snotlout who should have been protecting the lead chaser.  It was one thing to miss defending a Bludger hit from an opposing beater, but a stray Bludger hit?  That was sloppy.

Merida was now forced into a defensive capacity, searching for the nearest Bludger to stop the oncoming Slytherin attack.  It would be her job to focus on the chasers while Snotlout was supposed to focus on defending the keeper, but based on their current positions--Snotlout being completely out of position--Merida would have to compensate and make sure a stray Bludger didn’t make a break for the keeper while also making sure neither of the Thorston twins didn’t take out any more chasers.  Luckily, it sounded as though Astrid was back in the air.

“Where were you on that Bludger?!”

“The _sun_ was in my _eyes_ , Astrid!”

Merida rolled her eyes and focused on the incoming Beaty.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see James coming in for a takedown, and it seemed as though Beaty had yet to notice.  Deciding to take a chance and leave Greg to his own devices, Merida streaked towards the nearest Bludger to draw Beaty’s attention.  On her way, she yelled to Snotlout, “Harpy!” hopefully signalling to Snotlout to take care of the other two Slytherin chasers so James would have a clear chance at Beaty.

“On it, Red!” he responded, his Nightmare speeding towards the other Bludger.

Merida took a look at her Bludger and back to Beaty, swerving so both the Bludger and chaser were on her left.  Merida wasn’t aiming to knock him off his broom, just veer him off course enough to distract him from James.  She closed in on the Bludger and swung her bat arm, making solid contact with the Bludger and sending it rocketing towards the chaser.

Beaty noticed it and swerved, but doing so put James in his blind spot.  Another Slytherin chaser, Szerszunowicz, closed in on James to knock him off track, but Snotlout hit a well timed Bludger to block her.

“Two nice blocks from DunBroch and Jorgenson, and Meisner with the steal!” Fishlegs announced, drawing a roar from the Gryffindor crowd.  Merida grinned and nodded at Snotlout who smirked in return.

Snotlout went ahead to protect James from a Thorston attack while Merida followed the chaser’s formation, ready to protect Phill and Astrid from Slytherin interference.

Gryffindor’s strategy for the beaters was for Snotlout to cover the lead chaser while Merida covered the passing receivers on offense, and on defense, Merida covered the keeper and any chaser breakaways while Snotlout focused on attacking the Slytherin chasers and breaking up their formations.  It seemed to be working so far as Gryffindor was up 80-20 in the match.

“Hofferson passes to Chester, nice Bludger from Jorgenson.  Chester approaches the posts, seems to have over shot it a bit, flies behind the posts, passes back to Hofferson--GRYFFINDOR SCORES!  Gryffindor leads 90-20, and--oh!  We have a race for the Snitch going on!  Rider streaks along the stands, Mitchell hot on his tail.”

Merida swerved around trying to locate the seekers, but Fishlegs quickly announced, “Rider has the Snitch!  SLYTHERIN WINS!  In a shocking turn of events, Slytherin has come away with the win, 170-90.  Gryffindor dominated the whole match until Slytherin’s new captain flew in and--”  Merida swore loudly, angry that she hadn’t picked up on the seekers’ race earlier.  She could have helped Haylee out if she had noticed earlier, but everything was too sudden.  Merida scolded herself for not paying attention to the seekers until Fishlegs said something.  It was an amateur mistake--half of their matches ended before Fishlegs even mentioned the Snitch, it was her responsibility to keep an eye on the seekers during the match.

Frustrated, Merida joined her team by the gates and trudged into the locker room, bracing herself for a long lecture from their captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you have people from every house in a story, not everyone can win. How many of you were surprised that Merida lost? In case anyone was confused, "Harpy" is one of Gryffindor's plays, and the play itself was executed in the story. Think of an in-bounding play for basketball or a football formation.
> 
> Are there any Quidditch match ups you want to see? Certain years? Remember that the years will dictate who is on the team. As seen from Tumblr, [Hiccup joins the team his 2nd year](http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumbr.com/tagged/osaat-art), and from this story you know when Astrid, Merida, and Snotlout join the team. You'll notice that Jack didn't play on the Slytherin team. This is because though he loves flying, he would much prefer to do it for fun without the constraints of the game. Not to mention that Dagur was the captain before Flynn, and thus Jack lost interest in joining the team very fast. He enjoys playing pick-up Quidditch though.
> 
> Other than Quidditch matches, is there anything else you want to see next? Check out the [timeline](http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumbr.com/timeline) on Tumblr and grab some ideas from there. Or ask about things that aren't listed there to help me flesh out this story more!
> 
> Follow the blog for this story here: [one-spell-at-a-time](http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumbr.com)


	8. Addiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the topic of Emma's nightmares comes up, Merida learns that Jack has been hiding something very troubling from all of them.
> 
> (Takes place immediately after [“What’s an Aye Pod?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/985690/chapters/1942583))

“Ye know, I don’t know how yer sister got past me,” Merida said on her way down the stairs.

Jack chuckled from his seat. “She’s _my_ sister, of course she can be sneaky when she wants to be.”

Merida made her way back to the armchairs, and after settling in her seat she noticed Jack on the couch, hands covering his face.

“Frosty, if yer tired ye can go te bed,” Merida said. Jack’s hands slipped from his face and he leaned forward as she continued, “Ye don’t need to help--”

“I don’t mind,” Jack insisted, waving her off with a light smile. His hands rested on his knees, one of them playing with an errant crease by his knee. “I was thinking about Emma. I just wish there was a way to get rid of her nightmares,” he muttered, smile falling from his face. “I hate seeing her so scared.”

“Why don’t ye try Dreamless Sleep Potion?” Merida suggested. “I've used it before and it worked like a charm--”

“ _No._ ”

Merida jumped in surprise at his tone. Jack had gone very rigid, his hand stilled on his knee. His pale skin had faded to a point where it almost matched his hair. “Jack--”

“How long did you use it for?” Jack asked quietly, his tone very clipped.

“It was after that incident with Mor’du this summer,” Merida admitted quietly. “Ay must have used it for a week or so, and after that it wasn't so bad. Me mum and I have gotten along a lot better since then, and that drove the nightmares away on its own.”

Jack nodded, his gaze focused on a random space on the floor, and his hand resumed playing with his pant leg. He wiped his free hand across his face, and as it dropped, he seemed as though he had come to a decision. “Have you heard of the side-effects of Dreamless Sleep Potion?”

Merida leaned forward in her chair, watching Jack with more focus now. She noticed slight bags under his eyes, and his hand was twitching on his knee, gripping and releasing the fabric of his pants. “Aye,” she affirmed, “Ay know you’re supposed to use it in moderation. The mediwitch who gave me the potion said not to take more than one standard vial before bed each night. And Ay was supposed to discontinue it after two weeks at the longest, but Ay stopped using it before then anyway.”

Jack nodded idly, and Merida noticed the hand gripping his pant leg was trembling. “Do you know why you’re not supposed to use it long term?”

Merida nodded slowly, though Jack couldn't see her, his gaze still fixed on the floor. She did not like where this conversation was heading, and she was getting very anxious. “It’s addictive,” Merida responded, and she jumped in her seat when Jack let out a very quick, broken laugh.

“It’s _highly_ addictive,” Jack stressed, his voice slightly breathless.

“Jack--” Merida stopped herself when Jack shook his head sharply. Merida was not sure if she wanted to hear this, but she knew Jack needed to talk, and she was not about to stop him.

The common room was silent save for the crackling fire that was not wholly necessary at this time of year. Merida was actually surprised that Jack had yet to comment about the heat of the room, considering that he typically preferred colder temperatures. If anything, that only emphasized how much what Jack had to say was affecting him.

“I had a few nightmares after my dad died,” Jack started, his gaze fixed on the floor as he held his forehead with both palms. “At the time, I thought they were awful, but I’d give anything to have those again. They were at least manageable. I didn't even need DSP yet because...well, I honestly never knew it existed yet. But like I said, those were _manageable_ , and they went away after a while. Or as least, they weren't as often. There’s a reason why they call him the Nightmare King--”

Jack had to stop there, his fingers gripped the fringe of his hair as Merida listened in rapt silence. Jack took a deep shuddering breath and continued.

“There’s something about his magic that... _infects_ you or something. It’s not even a specific spell, but hitting me with the Cruciatus Curse was enough I guess. You’d think that would be pretty substantial, but it was _nothing_ compared to...whatever the fuck that spell was. There’s honestly not much I remember about that night except the...the _pain_ of it. I had no idea Hiccup was even there until my mom mentioned it.

“Waking up in the Hospital Wing after that was _brutal_. I was already unconscious when they brought me in, so they never had a chance to give me DSP. After I talked to my mom for a bit, Madam Pomfrey gave me DSP, and it was the closest I've come in Heaven in my life so far. That sleep was blissfully blank. No dreams, no nightmares, it was like even my subconscious had gone to sleep. Madam Pomfrey allowed me to take it every night I was in the Hospital Wing, and then she gave me a prescription to take in my dorm.

“But the prescription only lasted for a week, because I was supposed to start working my way off of it. So I took the potion for a week, and then the next night I went to bed, and it was like I had relived every awful thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn't...I _couldn't_ do that again. So that morning after I woke up, I went to the student store room instead of getting breakfast, and started making my own batch of DSP. Being the top student in Potions has to help with something,” Jack chuckled humorlessly. “DSP has a shelf life of 2 weeks, so every two weeks I needed to make more of the potion. Unfortunately, the school year was ending, and I wouldn't have access to the supplies I needed to make it anymore. I made enough to last the first two weeks of summer vacation.

“So when I ran out of DSP, I had nightmare after nightmare after nightmare...it got to the point where I started tying a gag around my mouth to try to muffle the screaming…I didn't want my mom to know how bad it was affecting me, and I definitely didn't want Emma to know. She already has her own nightmares _without_ Pitch’s influence. I had to...I’m her _brother_ , I have to be strong for her. She still doesn't know what really happened that night. She just saw me when I came home and asked why my hair was white and why my eyes were ‘a really pretty blue,’” Jack chuckled, quoting his sister. “I honestly can’t remember what I told her, but my mom must have said something, because she’s never asked since.

“After the Welcome Back feast that year, I went straight to the store room and made a new batch of DSP. It was the most intoxicating feeling of relief I have ever felt. After two months of constant nightmares, that one night of respite was amazing. I told myself I couldn't go back to the nightmares, so every two weeks without fail, I made a batch of DSP. That got me through the entire 4th year.”

“You took Dreamless Sleep Potion for an entire _year_?” Merida broke in, eyes glistening. “ _Jack_ \--”

“I know,” Jack interrupted brokenly. “I _know_ , I just...I couldn't do it. You don’t know what those nightmares were like. I couldn't keep going through that every night.”

Merida resisted the urge to ask what his nightmares had entailed, though she could probably guess to a certain extent. With everything that had happened to Jack in the last few years, from witnessing his father’s death to his encounters with Pitch, Merida could only guess what Jack’s subconscious had done to those memories.

“Whadijya do during the break?” Merida asked, breaking the tense silence.

“Christmas and Easter break don’t go longer than two weeks, so I was fine then,” Jack shrugged uneasily.

“But what about _summer_ break,” Merida pressed, noticing when Jack stiffened up. “After taking the potion for a full year without--”

“You don’t have to tell me, I am _well_ aware of the effects,” Jack interrupted, his voice shaking. He let out a long breath, roughly running his hands through his hair. “The first two weeks were fine. But--” Jack let out another long breath, trying to gather his thoughts, “the first night I couldn't take the DSP, I woke up in both emotional and physical pain. The nightmare itself was awful, but I woke up with symptoms like I had late-stage scarlet fever or something. I had done so well hiding everything from my family the summer before, but this...let’s just say it was good I hadn't gone back to gagging myself.” Merida cringed at the obvious allusion. “Mom called Uncle North, and he brought me right to St. Mungo’s. I was fairly out of it by that point, borderline hysterical, but I know the Healers told my mom and North about the DSP. I ended up staying there for a week detoxing, getting the built-up substance out of my system.” Jack shuddered, gripping his hair painfully, “The detox was almost worse than just having the nightmares.

“I haven’t really had a good night’s sleep since then,” Jack admitted. “To this day I have to put a silencing charm on my bed so I don’t wake up the entire common room every night. My mom suggested charming a sheet so I could bring that home over breaks, and that’s worked pretty well.”

“Is tha’ why you sleep outside so often?” Merida asked softly. “So ye don’t disturb others?”

“Nah,” Jack shook his head, a very small smile tugging on his lips. “I get my best rests out on the grounds. Bunny used to reprimand me for it, but he’s let it slide mostly since he found out it’s the only way I sleep well really.”

There was a comfortable silence between the two. Merida was tempted to point out that Jack’s midnight trek for snacks was probably the result of a nightmare, but she had more tact than that and chose to remain quiet. Instead, she looked towards the grandfather clock in the common room and scowled when she saw that it was now almost two o’clock. Breakfast was in five hours and her paper was due in six.

“So…” she drawled, reluctantly refocusing on her homework, “How does one store music on an aye-pod?”

Jack grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guy, this story is still around! :) As always, let me know if there's something in particular you want to see in a chapter.
> 
> Follow the blog for this story here: [one-spell-at-a-time](http://one-spell-at-a-time.tumblr.com)


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